Watch-rack



(No Model.)

J. E. GAUSE.

WATCH RACK.

No. 358,198. Patented Feb. 22, 1887.

WITNESSES INVENTOR ATTORNEYS.

N. PETERS Plwio'khhngmpher. Wallllnglom R C UNITED STATES PATENT Erica.

J AMES E. GAUSE, OF BROWNSVILLE, TENNESSEE.

WATC H- RACK.

ESPECEPICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 358,193, dated February 22, 1887.

Application filed March 3, i856. Serial No. 193,870. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES E. GAUSE, of Brownsville, in the county of Haywood and State of Tennessee, have invented a new and Improved Watch-Rack, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My inventionrelates to racks adapted especially for the use of watch-makers and jewelers for hanging watches and jewelry upon, and has for its object to provide an inexpensive and neat rack, which may readily be folded or rolled up, with the articles held by it, for placing the goods with the rack in a safe over night, and may be as readily unfolded and hung up to display the articles, whereby time and labor will be saved in handling the goods. The rack may also be used as a fixed or stationary rack for displaying a variety of merchandise.

The invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts of the rack, all as hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both the figures.

Figure l is a front view of the watch-rack as supported from aframe of metal rods, and Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective View of one of the rack-hooks and parts of the chains by which it is held drawn to a larger scale.

The watch-rack consists of a backing or groundwork ofsome suitable flexible material adapted to be readily folded or rolled up, and a series of hooks attached thereto to receive the watches, locket-s, or other articles of jewelry.

The hooks A of the rack are connected by loops or eyes a a, formed at their opposite ends,with the cross-bars b b of wire frames B, which frames have a general rectangular form with side bars, 12' b, slightly curved outward, and provided, preferably, with corner bends or loops, W, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, and to which loops the ends of short connecting chains or cords O are attached, to hold the hooks and frames A B by and between the chains in a net-like and flexible structure, as in Fig. 1.

One side, a, of the rack-hook A is made continuous and concaved rearward, and the front portion of the hook is formed in an upper part, a", curving downward and outward from the upper eye, a, of the hook, and at the end of part a the elastic metal of the hook is bent downward and backward to form a part or lip, a the lower end of which-preferably rests against and is adapted to slide on the rear side, a, of the hook. The lower part, a, of the front of the hook extends upward from the lower eye, (1,, in concavoconvex form about to the point of junction or the bend between the parts a a thus providing a slit or space at D, through which the rings eof watches or lockets E may be passed to suspend them from the hooks, as shown in Fig. 1.

In placing the watches or lockets E in the hooks A their rings e will be pressed against the parts o of the hooks, which will yield backward as the ends of parts a slide on the rear sides, a, of the hooks, and whereby the slit or slot at D will be opened sufficiently to allow the ring e-to enter the hook, and when the watch is to be removed from the hook its ring 6 will be lifted up bet-ween the parts tr ct of the hook, and may be drawn through the slit at D as the lower front part, a, of the hook springs outward at its upper end. A slight twisting or turning movement of the watch or other article will facilitate its removal from the hook. After the watches E or other articles are hung on the hooks they will not accident-ally become disengaged therefrom. Conseqently the entire rack, with the articles held by it, may be folded up and placed in a drawer or safe over night, and may again be unfolded and hung up, without danger of losing the watches or other articles from it, and whereby time is economized over the method of hanging each article on a separate open hook and removing it therefrom for safety over night. The shape of the books A is such that the chains 0 or the articles held by the hooks can- 7 a show-window, or to a base-piece, H. Open hooks A are fixed to the top row of hooks A, asindicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2, said hooks A being engaged with the head-piece F, to suspend the rack therefrom.

Spiral springs I, connected to the lower out side hook-frames, B B, of the rack, and to eyes 9 g on the posts G G, draw on the rack to holdit tightly stretched between the posts. Rubber bands or tie-chains may be used instead of the springs I, if preferred.

The chains 0 may be substituted by a flexible fabric of any kindsuch as velvet, plush, silk, or other suitable material which will fold readily,and to which the hook-frames may be attached.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters latent 1. A watch-rack made of a backing or network of flexible material, and hooks fixed thereto, adapted to receive and retain the watches or other articles hung thereon when the flexible backing is folded and unfolded, substantially as herein set forth.

2. The co1nbination,in a watch-rack,of hooks adapted to receive watches or other articles, frames B, to which the hooks are connected, and chains 0, connected to the hook-frames to form a flexible rack, substantially as herein set forth.

3. A rack hook and support comprising a hook, A, adapted to receive watches or other articles, and provided with 'end loops or eyes, a a, and aframe, B, consisting of opposite side bars, I) 1), connecting thcba-rsb b, substantially as herein set forth.

4. In watclrracks, the hook A, formed with a rear side or part, a, an outbent front part,

a an inbent part, a, connected to part a, 40 and inclining downward and backward, and a lower front part, a", providing a slit, as at D, in combination with a flexible webbing or backing, substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

5. In watch-racks, the hook A, formed with opposite end loops, at a, a rear part, a, and front part, a, an inbent part, a", connected to part a and inclining downward and backward, and a lower front part, a, providing a slit, as at I), in combination with a frame, B, made with end bars, I) b, on which the hookloops a a are fitted, opposite side bars, I) b, and a flexible webbing or backing, substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

6. In watch-racks, the combination of hooks A, adapted to receive watches or other articles, frames B, to which the hooks are connected, and a flexible backing supporting the frames or hooks, and said hooks A formed with upper hooks, A, adapting them for suspen sion from a rod or other suitable support, substantially as herein set forth.

7. The combination of a watch-rack consisting of hooks A, adapted to receive and retain 6 watches or other articles, frames B, to which the hooks are attached, a flexible backing or netting to which series of the hooks and frames are attached,and the upper row ofhooks having hooks A, and a rod-frame, F G G, and springs or ties, as at I I, connecting the opposite lower corners of the rack to the posts G G, substantially as herein set forth.

JAMES E. GAUSE.

\Vitnesses:

C. A. TA Ll AFERRO, XV. B. TALIAFERRH. 

